Who could even fathom that across the ages Christmas could mean so much to so many people. A Partridge in a Pear Tree. Advent. Angels… ‘from the realms of glory’; ‘hark the herald… Angels sing’; ‘from Angels… bending near the earth, to touch their hearts of gold’. Angels! ‘Angels… We have heard on high’. “Now when they had departed, behold, an Angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”

For others, Christmas has meant Baby Jesus. Bells… ‘Silver Bells’; ‘Jingle Bells; Salvation Army Bell Ringers; or the Bells of St. Mary. Bethlehem. Bows. Bright star, bright eyes, bright lights. Bulbs… strung by the thousands, color lighting the house both inside and out… entire neighborhoods… EVERY HOUSE… down Town streets; Village streets; City Sidewalks, ALL DRESSED in Holiday style.

Christmas means Candles. Candy canes. Carols. Carolers… Carolers singing… at the neighbors door; in the hospitals and nursing homes. Celebration. Charity. Cheer. Chestnuts roasting. Children… CHILDREN…for children; with children; happy children! Chimney. Christ The Saviour. Cards… addressed by hand; postage stamps and envelopes licked; received in love; displayed on mantles… coffee and end tables… around the archway of doors. Christmas Rose… of a more ancient day. Christmas Speech… learned… for The Program; The Pageant; The Play… sometimes delivered… someone… NOT! It’s the Christmas Tree… ‘O Christmas Tree, how lovely are your branches.’

For some Christmas means Cider. Cookies. Dancing merrily. Deck the halls. Dolls. Doves. Egg nog. Eight Maids (a)milking. Eleven Piping Pipers. Elves. Emanuel… ‘O Come, O Come Emanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lowly exile here…’ It’s Evergreen.

Family. Family… come home, ‘Please come home… for Christmas’! You know there’s “Dasher and Dancer, Prancer and Vixen, Commet and Cupid, Donner and Blitzen; BUT, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer!

There’s Feliz Navidad. Figgy pudding. Fireplace. Five Golden Rings. Food. Four Calling Birds. Frankincense. Friends. Gay apparel. Gift wrapping. Gingerbread. Glitter. Gloria in ‘Excelsis Deo’. Gold. Good Will towards Men. Green AND Red! The Grinch. Happiness. Holiday. Holly. Holy Infant… Holy Night. Hot chocolate. Housetops. Icicles. Inn. Ivy. Jack Frost. JESUS.

Christmas is Jolly. Jingle Bell Rock. Joy. Joseph. Kiddie cars. Kris Kringle. Lamb. Laughter. Lights. Little tin horns. Love. Magi. Making a list. Mass. Manger. Mercy mild. Merry. Mistletoe. Myrrh. Mrs. Claus. Nativity scenes. Naughty OR Nice. Nine Ladies Dancing. Noel. North Pole. One-horse sleigh. Ornaments. Ox. Peace on Earth. Plum pudding. Poinsettias. Presents. Ribbons. Saint Nicholas. Santa Claus. Season’s Greetings. Seasonal music. Seven Swans (a)swimming. Shepherds. Silent Night. Six Geese (a)laying. Snow… flakes and men. Stable. Stockings. Sugar plums.

It’s Ten Lords (a)Leaping. Three French Hens. Toys. Tidings. Tinsel. Turkey. Twelvetide. Twelve Drumming Drummers. Two Turtle Doves. Virgin Mary. Wassail. Winter Wonderland. Wise Men. Worship. Wreaths. Yule. Who could even imagine that across the ages Christmas could loose so much of it’s meaning to so many people? But, “Who could imagine… A KING?”

by email: mustardseedfaith@outlook.com